Haunt
by DominoTyler
Summary: Halloween fic 2012! Hermione has been haunted by the same being every year for 4 years. Will it be different this year, now that she's got Draco to protect her? Not really horror since it's rated K but close enough.


**This is the story I get when I listen to Halloween by Dave Matthews band…**

**I don't own Harry Potter or the song Halloween by Dave Matthews Band! ^^**

…

Hermione knew that, for most people, Halloween was a time of great fun. A time of tricks and treats and parties and sweets. All of her friends took their children out for trick or treat, and when they were tuckered out and left with Molly, they dressed up in their own costumes and flew off to their own parties.

But Hermione never partook of this act, no matter how enticing her friends made it seem. Because, you see, Halloween was not a time of great fun for Hermione. In fact, she was utterly terrified every year when it came around, for the past five years. Because, for the past five years, she has been haunted by the same person, every Halloween. It had started her fourth year, and she'd been happy when she'd graduated, hoping the hauntings would end with her Hogwarts life, but no. They continued just the same. She took all necessary precautions – locking doors and windows, putting up all sorts of magic fields, but it didn't matter: the haunter knew what he was doing.

But this year – at least, she _hoped – _would be different. Because this year she wouldn't be alone. This year she had a boyfriend.

"Hermione, what is going on with you today?" Draco said, looking at her from where he was seated on the couch, his eyes flickering momentarily from the book he'd been reading aloud. "You're so jumpy. And why do you keep looking out the window like that?"

Hermione laughed. "Oh – no reason. Halloween, you know. I've always been a bit afraid of it."

Draco rolled his eyes. "There's nothing to be afraid of. No big bad ghost is going to swoop in and get you. But…" He set aside his book and placed his reading glasses on the side table. Then he smirked. "The big bad _wizard _might."

Hermione rolled her eyes this time when Draco got to his feet and crouched in a menacing position. "How old are you again? Because I don't exactly believe you're acting 18."

Draco didn't say anything – he just crept towards her, arms out wide, and he looked really very creepy.

Hermione laughed nervously, unafraid to admit to herself – but never to him – that Draco was freaking her out a little bit. "Come on, Draco, don't do this."

"Oh, I'm not Draco," Draco said, though she could hear the amusement in his voice. "I'm…_the boogie man!"_

And he tackled her to the floor. They clattered down in front of the fireplace, laughing and wrestling, both wanting to be on top.

Draco finally won the battle, pinning Hermione's arms to the ground. Hermione laughed and gave up her struggle, shaking her head at Draco's ridiculous actions. It was surprising how playful the boy could be. And all that had to be done was to be rid of Lord Voldemort, freeing up his parents to stop being so controlling and, well, evil.

He leaned down and brushed his lips against Hermione's neck, moving slowly up before he reached her lips. Then he rolled off of her, lying beside her on the rug before the fireplace. They lay there in silence a few moments, and Hermione, though she wished she could just enjoy the moment, was extremely conscious of the ticking clock. It was almost midnight.

Hermione curled into Draco's side, hoping he was ready for what the night had to bring. The thought passed her mind that it was only fair that she give him a warning, but how would she word it? How could she tell him to prepare for a monster so entirely unexpected, who could do whatever unimaginable thing he wished at any time? So she would keep it to herself, and be ready for what was to come so that she could support Draco in any way she could.

She felt guilty. Maybe she shouldn't have brought him into this? But she couldn't stand the thought of enduring this by herself again. She wasn't sure she'd survive another year

"What time did you say Harry and Ron were getting back?" Draco mumbled into her ear, stroking her hair back gently.

"Probably not until tomorrow morning or afternoon," Hermione replied into Draco's chest. "They'll be out all night."

"Hm..." Draco's soft breath tickled her ear. "Then maybe we could..."

But before he could finish, there was a soft "_whoosh_..." and all of the candles in the room blew out. The curtains swished, though Hermione knew that the windows were closed.

She knew the haunting was beginning when the fire went out as the clock chimed twelve.

Draco didn't say anything - he never really said much, anyways - as he slowly placed me on the floor, stood and crossed the room. He roughly pulled the curtains shut, and they stopped fluttering. Then he moved to the fireplace and knelt down to look up.

The fire started up with another, much louder _"whoosh!" _and sudden, loud crackling. Draco pulled his head back just in time to not be torched. He leaped to his feet, eyes wide.

"What -"

Then the laughter, the familiar laughter that came every year, rang out through the room. Hermione had known after the second or third year of this haunting that she was dealing with somebody her own age, because his laughter deepened considerably, but had been about the same the last few haunts.

"Well, well, well…" Hermione reached out for Draco, and he moved towards her with arms outstretched.

"What's going on?" he mouthed, and Hermione closed her eyes and pulled him closer in reply.

"Isn't this a change?" the voice from above continued. "You've gone and gotten yourself a little boyfriend…were you hoping for a bodyguard?"

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" Hermione cried out, hoping he'd leave, though she knew he never would. "How do you keep finding me?"

"Do not lie, Hermione Granger; you know you look forward to our meetings every year."

Hermione shivered when the furniture around her rose several inches into the air and began to shake and circle the room. Draco held her tighter.

"Who are you?" Draco yelled. "Show yourself!"

The laughter returned, and Hermione squeezed her eyes shut again as she heard footsteps. They were above her, but not on the floor above – it sounded as though it was in the _air _above her.

"That's so sweet of you, protecting the lady," the smooth, cool voice whispered. "Who says chivalry is dead?"

"I don't know who you are or what you think you're doing," Draco said firmly, "but I'm warning you – if you don't get out of here right now, you'll be very sorry."

"I will, will I?"

Hermione knew what was coming – she felt herself being ripped from Draco's arms, being pulled towards the ceiling, where she knew the haunter was hiding. But Draco wasn't letting go. He gripped her wrists so tightly that it hurt.

"I'm growing bored with this rubbish," said the voice, and Draco was forced to release Hermione. She ripped back and smacked into the ceiling. Her skull crashed against the wood. Her ears began to ring and her vision went fuzzy, but she could still feel that cold feeling, the feeling that washed all through her, that left her feeling so _afraid…_

But what was that? Didn't it usually last longer?

"What? What are you doing? What's that spell?"

"It's something I picked up back with the Death Eaters," Draco mumbled – he was concentrating. "It was to protect me from the Undead – those who hang around certain people at a certain time of year. And it gets rid of them – forever."

There was a horrifying shriek, then, and Hermione plummeted to the ground. Draco barely caught her before from out of the air fell another body – one that Hermione hadn't been able to see before. It was dead, and it was familiar – hadn't she seen this boy back at Hogwarts? But never in class. Who was he?

Before she could study his face any further, however, he disintegrated, right before her eyes.

Hermione clasped onto Draco.

"Don't worry, Hermione," Draco whispered into her hair. "From now on, as long as I'm around, he'll never haunt you again. You're safe with me…Hermione? Are you crying?"

"I'm sorry," she said, wiping tears from her ace as she smiled. "It's just…I'm so relieved! I love you, Draco."

Draco chuckled lightly. "I love you, too. Now, what do you say, we head over to Blaise's for his Halloween party?"

"Sure, Draco," Hermione replied. She didn't care what she did.

Because now, she was free. Never again would she be haunted by that…by that _thing. _And if it meant she had to be around Draco, then she'd _gladly _spend the rest of her life with him. Not just to keep away the Undead, but because, she thought, maybe she wanted to. And she hoped that he wanted to, too.

…

**Really bad. I know. I wrote it in one day because I forgot it was Halloween and yeah…well, maybe next years will be better… And I'll totally make up for it with my Christmas story.**

**See ya! Hope this terrible story didn't wreck your opinion of me! ^^**


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